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By Aimee Ferrier | Photo: Alamy
When JOAN JETT was just 16, she formed The RUNAWAYS, finding success in the mid-1970s after supporting bands from Talking Heads to Van Halen. Their debut album, The RUNAWAYS, was released in 1976 and featured the classic hit 'Cherry Bomb' alongside a cover of The Velvet Underground's 'Rock and Roll'.
Vocals were alternated between Jett and Cherie Currie, with Jett eventually taking over the role of lead vocalist in 1977 when Currie left the band. With Jett at the helm, she further established her powers as a frontwoman, setting herself up for a successful solo career. After producing the Germs' only record, GI, she travelled to England to work on new music, recording an early rendition of The Arrows' 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll'.
Jett soon re-recorded the song with her band The BLACKHEARTS, releasing it in 1981 as the lead single from the album I Love Rock 'n Roll. The album was a hit, selling over one million copies and reaching number two on the Billboard 200 charts. However, the track was even more successful, spending seven weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982.
It's hard to argue that Jett isn't a rock and roll icon. She paved the way for many budding female musicians by finding success in an overtly male-dominated musical landscape, suggesting that young women could become rockstars too. As a member of one of the earliest all-female rock bands, she significantly influenced the development of the feminist punk movement, riot grrrl, later collaborating with bands such as Bikini Kill and L7.
Jett has frequently spoken out against the misogyny at the heart of the industry, offering some advice during an interview with The Guardian. "For guitar-playing girls - this is important - don't listen to what people tell you," she said. "You may run into people asking you what you're doing, saying that girls don't play guitar. You'd think we'd be way past that now - it's been 30 years since I played in the RUNAWAYS - but that's not the case. [...] Just screw all that and keep at it."
Jett has released numerous brilliant songs over the years, but there are several that she considers a cut above the rest. She once revealed that her favourite LP she's recorded is the aptly-titled Album, which includes one of her favourite songs, 'Handyman'. The record was released in 1983 and featured fewer covers than usual, instead including almost exclusively original compositions. Album only peaked at number 20 on the US Billboard 200, making it much less successful than its predecessor, I Love Rock 'n Roll.
Many of Jett's favourite JOAN JETT songs can be found on I Love Rock 'n Roll, from 'Victim of Circumstance' to '(I'm Gonna) Run Away' and 'You're Too Possessive'. The album solidified Jett as a rock icon, with the musician citing the intense creation process, which she carried out while rigorously touring, as one of the reasons for its greatness. "It really kept us together, it kept us sharp," she told Creem.
The singer also cites her classic hit 'Bad Reputation' as one of her favourite songs she's ever recorded. The 1980 song appeared on Jett's album Bad Reputation and is now considered one of her signature songs. The track has been widely used in popular culture, even becoming the opening theme for the cult television series Freaks and Geeks.
JOAN JETT's favourite JOAN JETT songs:
'Frustrated'
'If Ya Want My Luv'
'(I'm Gonna) Runaway'
'Oh, Woe Is Me'
'You're Too Possessive'
'Victim Of Circumstance'
'Handyman'
'Long Time'
'I Got No Answers'
'Bad Reputation'
